Cracked Glass
by TellThemNaegi
Summary: Everyone knows the tale of Makoto, Sayaka and the crane, but what if they'd met before that? And how will Makoto react to learning the idol isn't the perfect girl everyone assumes she is? (Part one of Spotlight series)


One man's fortune is another's misfortune.

Take the school bell, noisy for most but for typical 14-year-old middle schoolers, the last chime filled them with relief, like weighted stone lifted from their developing shoulders.

…

Okay that's an exaggeration. Let's cut the flowery intro short and just say that Makoto Naegi was among those simple kids who'd get giddy over the school's closing announcement, ready to waste his afternoon away.

But today was different. Today, Makoto was in his classroom, alone, while the students, save club-goers had gone home.

"You've got to be kidding me…" He groaned, desperately searching for his missing wallet around his desk. Makoto realized too late at the bus terminal that his back pocket was empty, but not without causing a scene. 7 quarters was all he had to his name. Too short ride the bus, but you'd think the bus driver would give him a break when he commuted every day.

Think again.

Today, of all days, the stars aligned and the old bus driver (that Makoto was on friendly terms with) was temporarily replaced by an unfamiliar substitute.

With no other recourse, Makoto retraced his steps came up empty at school. The orange tint in the sky signaled the evening and that Makoto had no other way to return home, not when he lived far from Sixth Black root middle school.

"I'll be more careful next time." Makoto apologized to his mother over the pay phone.

_"It's okay, honey. Your father and I know it's not your fault. You've always been…special."_

He never wanted to be_ that _kind of special

_"I won't be getting off work till 8. That means I can't pick you up till 8:30."_

Makoto haphazardly checked his watch, the hand stopping before 12. He rolled his eyes, figuring it had broken at some point. Thankfully, there was a clock fixed to the wall for him to read.

He had several hours to wait. "That's fine. I'll find something to do in the mean time, then I'll meet you at the bus station." Makoto ended the call, putting the phone back on its holder.

6 quarters left and a whole lot of time. Makoto wandered the halls, peering outside to see the soccer club still going strong in practice. He felt a mix of envy and admiration towards that talented bunch. He wasn't in any clubs, not _only_ because of his utter lack of athletic ability, but an even more persistent, annoying quality of his.

Makoto had _spectacularly_ bad luck – one the two defining traits that made him a stand out among his peers. The other was the optimism to smile in spite of his curse – or so his friends said as they teased him relentlessly.

But there was a trick to Makoto's luck that even he wasn't aware of.

One man's fortune is another's misfortune – That's how the saying goes…however in his case, good and bad luck were the same.

* * *

"It's lively today." What better place to waste his time than the arcade?

Bright lights pelt his eyes, attracting his gaze in every direction. He dropped by the Ultimax fighter, taking his seat against the player on the opposite side and sliding in one quarter.

His choice was the protagonist, the sister-complex kingpin of steel.

Makoto compared himself unfavorably to his opponent's selection, Akihiko. The protein junkie's imposing form could be defined in 4 words: _"Do you even lift?_"

Makoto tested out the controls in the first round. The other guy was pulling out counters for every move he made. Jump strikes, projectiles, specials…none of them worked. Even his guard got passed by throws. Left with no other choice, Makoto employed his most trusted tactic; mashing the crap out of those buttons.

It went about as well as you'd expect.

Makoto's depleted health bar didn't do much to ruin his mood. Win or lose, he had fun. "You're so good." He peaked over the console to get a good look at the guy he lost to…and found a pink-haired girl with pixel-themed hair clips… snoring away, her hands still occupying and moving the controls, as if she were on auto-pilot

With a bright smile and closed eyes _'I'll…pretend I didn't see that.' _He mind-gamed himself into believing she'd dozed off _after_ royally stomping him.

He journeyed in search of new entertainment and was naturally drawn to where the cheers were loudest.

Scratch that, it might be more accurate to say the arcade was _livelier_ than ever. He wasn't a frequenter, but he showed up every now and then. Makoto wowed at the tens of others, both his age or younger, crowding the dance platforms

The exaggerated wails of the loser reached Makoto's ears. Curious, he maneuvered his way through the crowd, stumbling into the front where he observed two players standing on the dance machine.

Makoto's attention landed on the winner smirking, dressed in a plain white baseball jersey and blue jeans. Likewise, strands of short, dark blue-hair overflowed from his cap.

Makoto found himself amongst the flow of the crowd. Challenger after challenger rose to take the blue-haired boy, only to lose each time. He cheered, not only for the streak but the entrancing performance.

YOU WIN – The sign appeared on the victor's screen for the 5th time since Makoto arrived.

"I'm next!"

The next contender psyched himself up, standing next to Makoto.

"Whenever you're ready to lose." The cap-fitted teen accepted the challenge, reaching into their pocket and pulled out a black wallet with white streaks. His confidence morphed into disappointment, followed by an apology. "I'm tapped out."

His disappointment was shared unanimously.

"I've got a few…if that's alright with you." Makoto held out his whole collection of quarters in hand and instantly regretted speaking upon noticing everyone's stares.

The champ's was particularly unnerving. Makoto remained calm when the other boy skipped out of the stand and approached, stretching out his hand invitingly. "Thanks, I'll take it." A melodic voice suited to an angelic face.

"I'm Yuki. What's your name?"

"Makoto Naegi."

"Since you're keeping the show going, why don't you get first shot at me?"

." Makoto jolted upright. "No way, I couldn't

Yuki's demonic grin made Makoto reconsider his earlier assessment. "Shy, huh?" He turned to the audience, with the charm of a born entertainer. "Everyone. I think Naegi here needs a little push~!"

Makoto's heart stopped when the crowd chanted his name and _literally_ shoved him to the stand. Like he'd just been asked to stand on stage at a live concert. The spiky-haired boy jerked as his feet landed on the dance floor. "I-I'm not very good at dancing." He confessed.

That fact seemed to only fill Yuki with mirth. "It's DDR, dude. You'll learn."

That did so very little to inspire confidence in Makoto. For good reason, as 5 minutes later, everyone would soon find out that he didn't have one coordinated bone in his body!

"Pfft-ahaha! You're really bad at this." Yuki clutched his stomach in laughter. Makoto pouted, looking away.

"Don't mind." "Go again!" "Better luck next time."

He heard comments of that nature from the audience. Was it more pathetic that their words actually consoled him?...Probably, just a bit.

Makoto stepped aside for the other contenders, pleased to be removed from the center of attention. He watched Yuki's wild, yet calculated movements from the comfort of the background. He could tell the boy enjoyed dancing.

Eventually the group displaced, and Makoto moved elsewhere, stopping when a finger tapped his shoulder.

The middle-schooler turned backwards to see Yuki waving at him. "You're still here."

Makoto nodded, nervously. "I was just about to leave."

"Ah, I don't want to keep you. See ya, Naegi-kun."

What did he want? "You remembered my name?"

Yuki paused, giving him a wry grin. "Of course, silly. You only told me a little while ago…and it'll be hard to forget someone dances like **_that_**."

Makoto grew red as a tomato.

Holding back on the laughter, Yuki continued. "Sorry for making you dance in front of everyone. I…have a bad habit of getting carried away."

"You don't have to. It was a nice first try for me." Makoto returned the apology with a positive attitude. "But compared to me (which did not say much), you were way cool!" Makoto gushed.

"Hmm…in what way?" His eyes twinkled, seeking further validation.

"I didn't know guys could _be_ that flexible. it made me want to dance along…I mean I _did_, but even before that and and…I'm rambling…"

Yuki waved his hand flippantly. "No no no, don't stop on _my account_. I'm _always_ happy to get fan feedback."

The fanboy scratched his cheek.

"If you've got a little bit of time, want to play a round of Brain Drive?" Yuki proposed

Makoto exploded with an excited a 'yes' …until he remembered "I'm broke."

"It'll be on me then. Here." Yuki placed a quarter in Makoto's hand. "Now we're even."

"Yeah…" Makoto paused. "Hold up, isn't this mine?"

"Don't sweat the small stuff." Without owning up to the deception, he dragged Makoto to the gaming platform.

The blunet struck Makoto as a shameless person…but cool in a way.

…

Their next competition wasn't as one-sided.

It was worse.

Yuki had a gross lead on the race, playing with an intensity the unluckster couldn't match. Makoto selected a balanced car while the other boy, chose the fastest with the worst control. That led to the blue-haired boy running over civilians even while at top gear…

A quick glance showed Yuki smiling menacingly as he intentionally rammed into the most recent pedestrian. The degree of recklessness influenced Makoto, the unluckster picked up speed, caring less for the casualties and riding the other boy's drift.

"Mhm, I feel so much better now." Yuki breathed out a happy sigh for his victory. "Naegi-kun, you make an excellent stress reliever."

"People _do_ tend to smile around me." He said proudly, despite his loss. He'd come close by the end though.

A cell phone's vibration cut the conversation short. Makoto didn't have one, so it could only belong to his acquaintance "Tch." Yuki's mood soured.

"Won't answer?"

"I already know who's calling and that means fun's over." The boy threw him a wave and walked away. "Take care, Naegi."

"…Everyone's got their own problems." Makoto exclaimed, alone once again. "…Huh?" His foot tapped a black wallet, sending it sliding across the floor. Makoto cautiously picked it up. There wasn't the slightest possibility the holder belonged to him, but it meant somebody out there was having as bad a day as he had been.

"Where have I seen this before?" The accessory latched onto the expensive fabric invoked a sense of familiarity.

…

"Oh crap." Makoto took off in the direction Yuki left in. Thankful that he could still see the white jersey and irregular hair color. He hollered the boy's name.

"…What?" Yuki jerked his head backwards.

"You might have dropped this." Makoto huffed, out of breath. He held out the wallet.

The blue-haired boy's eyes widened, his hands motioning for his back pocket. Coming up empty, he swiped the wallet from Makoto's hands. "Did you look?"

"Huh?"

"How did you know it was mine?" Yuki shot him a cold stare, no trace of his earlier friendliness.

"…when you were dancing, I saw you bring it out." Makoto said hesitantly, not expecting the interrogation. It almost sounded like he was being _accused_.

"O-Oh…thanks." Yuki said, awkwardly. "Sorry…and later." He gripped the wallet and turned away.

Makoto stood, puzzled.

…

Was he forgetting something?

…

Crap

"I'm late!"

* * *

"Thank goodness." Makoto heaved a sigh of relief when his friend handed him his wallet the following afternoon. "You're a lifesaver, Takashi-kun."

"Kan-chan found it after school and I just happened to be there when he showed it off. Lucky you…now thank me with lunch." Said a bleach-blonde boy with red streaks on his hair. His posture overly relaxed, even while wearing the same stuffy black uniform.

I should have enough for… "…Is it me…or am I short on cash?" Makoto's eyes narrowed at the 'friend' who averted his, whistling innocuously.

"Eh? Is that true?" He feigned ignorance.

"You'd know." Makoto grumbled.

"Hehe…Yakisoba's fine too." He clapped his hands apologetically.

"I'll get you the oldest, _driest_ bread they've got." Makoto fumed.

They enjoyed the pointless everyday banter until Makoto felt a sudden drop in temperature, his antennae-like hair standing up.

A sharp turn around had him locking eyes with a member of the school's most popular circle of students; the priceless jewel that sparkled, untainted by a sea of mediocrity. Sayaka Maizono, a rising star among the new generation of idols. Makoto's washed green eyes met her deep blue staring back at him. Or so he thought.

He speedily tore his eyes away.

"Wow, there she is…" Takashi swooned.

"Was she looking this way?" Makoto asked, suddenly finding himself in a headlock, unable to break free of Takashi's grip.

"Quit dreaming, we're lucky enough Maizono attends to this school. _In your case_, you've used up _all_ your luck. Don't push it any more."

"Y-Yeah you're right. I must be seeing things." Makoto said, acknowledging his status as an un-luckster. The world would end the day his idol recognized his existence. Still…"Has Maizono had any concerts recently?"

"No, why?"

Makoto was right on the cusp of figuring out why Maizono appeared so familiar when the headlock tightened, cutting off his air supply.

"Makoto, Makoto, Makoto. You know the saying 'Even a Buddha's patience has its limits, so don't complain if you get a knife in your back.'"

"That…isn't…how the saying…goes." He tapped on Takashi's arm.

"Really?"

"Yes…"

"I see, my bad." The taller boy withdrew his hands, leaving Makoto to gasp for air. "Not like a guy like you could get attention from _that_ crowd anyway."

"I won't disagree with that." He'd received similar threats in the past, from his own sister no less.

_"Where's a truck when I need one? I'm getting reborn in your body!" – _was Komaru Naegi's absurd reaction to learning that Maizono went to the same school as him

"Are you…sure?" Takashi sounded uncertain, despite having brought up the subject with confidence.

"'Course I am...and you're the one who said I didn't have a shot. "

"Well…it's just that _somehow_, you get boatloads of chocolate on valentines…despite being…_you_. What's your secret?"

"Eh?" Makoto's confusion raised to the max. "I don't have one…and wouldn't you know? One of the chocolates were yours-" Takashi's hand broke the sound barrier as it flew and covered Makoto's mouth, the rest of the sentence coming out as undecipherable mumbling.

"Don't make things weird. It was _just_ friendship chocolate!"

* * *

Makoto felt the recurring sensation of being watched for days…"Maybe I'm coming down with a cold." He rationalized his paranoia as such.

That's why he was eating his lunch outside and basking under the hot summer weather. He bit a chunk out of a green apple. "Sweet." He smiled. It was simple things that made his day. He prepared to take another bite…

"Can I sit here?"

…and froze mid-way, only his eyes moved to the source of the interruption. Makoto's mouth would have remained open with or without his lunch to prompt him. That question was too much when coming from Sayaka Maizono.

With his jaw growing tired, Makoto robotically bit down on the apple (harshly), blinking rapidly while swallowing. His head swayed side to side, seeing if someone else was around and he wasn't misjudging the situation. When Makoto deduced he was the only one in the vicinity, he gestured to himself, not uttering a word.

"May I?" Maizono asked again

He wouldn't dare make her ask a third time. "Y-Y-Yes, go right ahead!" Makoto yelped, in a voice crack to end all voice cracks.

The idol – yes, _the idol_, giggled. She was laughing at him – probably. Which was bad. But he made Maizono laugh, which was good. And even her voice sounded great. And…

It was getting really, really hot. Why was he in a sweater?

"I'm Sayaka. Sayaka Maizono." She introduced herself, taking a seat next to him. As if she had a reason to. As if it was minutely possible for Makoto to _not_ know that painfully important detail. "You are…Naegi-kun, right?"

…

"Did I get it wrong?" She held when he didn't immediately reply.

"No, you're right! I'm Naegi." He stated. "I didn't think you knew my name."

"I've recently discovered you have quite the reputation."

"Anything..._good_?" He hoped.

Maizono smiled sheepishly. "Depends."

Makoto groaned, wishing he could die on the spot. He'd never have imagined the sheer number of unlucky incidences involving him would reach the pop star's notice.

"I figured you were an interesting guy to know."

He had to stop his hand from moving to pinch his cheeks on its own. "Um…what do you mean by that?"

"I'm interested in you, silly." That could have been take so many ways and none were good for his heart. "I don't have many male friends, not real ones, so I thought about making _at least_ one in school."

Makoto instinctively reached for his back.

"What are you doing?" Maizono asks with a hint of bewilderment.

"Protecting myself from any stray knives."

His answer only pushed the idol into further confusion. "Why?" She gasped.

"Because I might be killed if you were overheard."

She lowered her head, understanding the dilemma. "It's no good then?"

"I didn't say that but why me...specifically?"

The bluenette placed a finger on her lips in thought. "I'm trying to find out if you're as…unique as I've heard."

_'It's fine to say it. I know I'm unlucky. It's like a supernatural force I've got no control over.' _Makoto looked to the clear skies above, unhappily ruminating over his unfortunate lifestyle. With a small gulp he spoke. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Who I am, is a lot less interesting than what happens to me. I'm just a guy you can find anywhere."

Maizono's smile dipped.

Substance-wise, that exclamation marked the end of the first of many conversations with Maizono. Makoto felt like he'd aged 2 years.

…

Occasionally, he'd trade glances with Maizono in the hall ways, but that was all. A moment's recognition, and that was it. They'd never spoken after that sunny afternoon.

"Hey…can I ask a hypothetical?" Makoto poked Takashi's back during recess.

"Can it wait until I'm fully awake?" He replied lethargically. Makoto found it funny, seeing as he was in the middle of balancing a soccer ball on his forehead.

Wouldn't that need a lot of concentration?

"It's about Maizono-san."

"Speak." In a flash, the blonde shifted his chair to face Makoto's, crossing his legs. The ball fell and rolled away.

"Let's say… she came up to me one day and asked to be friends…and I refused. Was I in the wrong?"

"I'd kill you."

"That again? It doesn't even answer the question!" Makoto fumed.

"Not '_again'_ and yes, _it does_. Because I'd kill you _twice_. The first for speaking to Maizono-chan alone. Then as your dear friend, I'd dig up your grave, revive you and demand to know what was going through the head of a pink-blooded young boy for turning a hottie like that down! It's not like she wanted to _date you_."

"And…The second time?" Dare he ask?

"After listening and not caring about how reasonable your excuse is, I'd kill and rebury you."

"Forget my issues…I'm thinking _you_ should see a shrink." Makoto retorted with faint disgust.

"_The point is_, anyone else would jump at the chance, you're an idiot for not taking it."

"This coming from the guy who admitted he'd kill me for it?"

"Why would you ever give a lick about my jealousy?" He rolled his eyes. Makoto bit back the need to comment on the self-deprecating behavior. "Why'd you say no? Ya chickened out?"

"It's not like that. She was looking for something I couldn't give her." What could he offer that Maizono couldn't attain elsewhere a hundred times over?

Takashi nodded, sagely. "So you chickened out. As expected."

"…" Makoto glared.

"Joking! But if she approached you, she must already have had an idea in mind."

"She thought I might be _interesting_." He air-quoted. A thought that would be dispelled from spending more than a day around him.

Takashi folded his arms and cocked his head. "So?"

"I'm anything _but_, dude. I'm…normal."

The athlete brought a finger to his chin. "Eh? Is that how it is?"

"Yes?"

"For real?"

"Yes!"

"Then that's all there is to it. _You're normal_." He patted Makoto on the shoulder.

The unluckster sighed, hearing exactly what he wanted to...and feeling bummed in turn. "That's what I've been saying all along."

"I'm an average joe too, but compared to _you_, I'm like, an _Ultimate_." Takashi continued nodding, not paying attention.

"That's a bit…"

"Hm, yeah. You might be the _most_ normal guy I've ever met, and I can't see you any other way. It's almost _freaky_."

Makoto frowned. "Oh now you're just…"

"But you know...I think the normal you is just a tiny bit cool."

* * *

"It's locked. _How is it locked_?" Makoto lamented, twisting against the door knob that closed behind him. A freak accident on a normal day of cleaning duty. The classroom supply closet was inconveniently empty. He traveled to the gym storage, searching for spares in the interior door. Makoto _did_ find what he was looking for…and had the door lock behind him.

Makoto gave up after many failed signals for help. Now, for the past 3 minutes, he picked at the door with a thin hanger he found in the closet. A satisfactory click filled him with relief. Like the swing of a pendulum, relief turned to dread when he heard a pair of voices on the other side.

"Sayakaaa, you promised to come to my party. Everyone was super disappointed you know, calling me a liar."

The irritated voice of one of Maizono's friends rang through. Speaking of whom…

"Sorry, Aiko. My manager scheduled an appointment at the last second. I…couldn't refuse." Maizono apologize.

"You always say that…you sure it isn't an excuse to ditch?"

"I wouldn't do that." The bluenette gasped.

Makoto gulped, fearing this was a conversation he definitely couldn't let himself get caught up in. Or caught at all if he wasn't up for social suicide.

_'I'll just…stay in here until they're gone and pretend not to hear anything.'_

"I'm kidding…just a little. But it's a pain, Sayaka. Can that guy really keep butting in like this?"

"I'm under contract…and inexperienced. Maybe when my career's stable I can make my own decisions but for now…"

"I get it…ugh, being an idol sounded crazy fun, but listening to you…"

Maizono giggled "Ever look at a girl and think '_I'm jealous! How can I get a figure like that?_'"

"But then she tells you her diet and workout routine."

"_And it's literally hell._"

"'I'll stick with fries and smoothies, thanks!'"

They said and laughed in unison.

"I'm really sorry about missing your birthday." Maizono apologized.

"I've already bounced back…but I would've so told you off if we'd met 36 hours ago."

"You're honest. I like that about you."

They reconciled. Now he only had to wait until they left. The voices died down and he heard the door on the other side open. "Here goes." He twisted the knob and cracked the door open slightly.

" _'Everyone was disappointed?'_ Yeah, I bet they were."

He lightly gasped, he still wasn't alone. He peeked from the opening, catching the idol, her side facing him. She wore a plain white shirt and black shorts, suggesting she'd either finished or was still in PE.

"Damn it." She cried.

Makoto couldn't see anyone else and surmised she was talking to herself.

*crash*

He yelped at the racket. Just then, Maizono kicked down a crate, sending the gym balls scattering. The crate smashing against a mirror, breaking it. The glimmering shards mixing with the gym equipment on the ground.

The brunet covered his mouth.

"Who's there?"

Makoto froze. Would she leave if he pretended he wasn't here?

"Say something or I-I'll call the teacher."

_'Why do I even bother?' _Makoto palmed his face, and opened the door, meekly stepping out into the fire.

"_Naegi-kun_?" She said, slowly.

"Hahaa-…surprise?"

Smooth Makoto, smooth.

Maizono cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. "How long were you in there? _What_ were you doing there?"

Makoto could spot an accusation a mile away. "I-I can explain."

"Go on." She pressed.

"I…got stuck inside. Had to pick my way out." He babbled, holding the hanger as his only line of defence.

"Why not call for help?" Maizono surveyed him with scrutiny.

"I got out right as the two of you walked in. I didn't say anything because…it'd be awkward if I came out then."

"And…it's not awkward _now_?"

"Point taken."

…

"Naegi-kun…I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but…you're very suspicious."

His heart almost stopped. "I-I'm not! It's just bad luck. You know, like the rumors say." He waved his hands defensively.

"Rumors?" Maizono knitted her eyebrow.

"About me being a luck magnet. You brought it up, remember?"

"No…the rumor was about your personality." The idol replied.

…

"Eh?" What was being said about him?

Makoto could tell the other girl was no doubt sizing him up, searching for more glaring openings in his defense.

Maizono sighed. "I don't have time for this. Be more careful." She turned around without another word. Her hair waving behind him as she retreated, stepping over the balls.

He'd dodged a bullet. A smart man would have let sleeping dogs lie, pretending he'd never been here.

"Are you…alright?" Many would attest to the fact that Makoto wasn't smartest tool in the shed. Definitely not in _this_ shed, where the temperature suddenly fell below zero.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Maizono craned her head.

"You…um…the floor." He said dumbly, pointing to the fallen crate with a shivering finger. Shivering because of that downright frightening disposition

"That was there when I arrived."

He gawked. "That's…a lie, isn't it? I saw you..." Makoto hadn't thought she was capable of lying.

"What if it is? You gonna tell on me? It'll be your word against mine and who do you think everyone will believe if I pinned the blame on you?"

Makoto didn't grasp the full ramifications of the threat "I wasn't going to say anything…and you wouldn't do that."

"And what do _you_ know about me?" Maizono gave a half smile, one that couldn't be farther from the brilliance that warmed the hearts of many…or the ones she showed him that past afternoon.

Makoto shifted uncomfortably. "Not much, but I can see when someone's suffering in front of me."

The bluenette's smirk wiped clean off, replaced by a firm denial. "Suffering? That's dramatic."

"Am I wrong?"

"Let's say you're not. What about it? It's not like you'll help. Why would you care when we're not even friends?"

Naegi cringed, deserving every bit of that scathing remark. Maizono had reached out to him and he shut her down. Why? "About that…I've been thinking recently and…I was wrong. I didn't get it at first but…that may have just been my selfishness. I didn't want to disappoint you." He didn't want to _be_ _disappointed_ when the idol would inevitably see how dry he really was. "The truth is, I-I really want to be your friend too." He said resolutely, his expression hardened. "At the very least, I want to help you as one now."

For a time, Maizono stared vacantly, saying nothing.

Makoto on the other hand felt himself overheating, his legs frozen after pouring his heart out.

Maizono walked over to him, extending her hand.

Makoto blinked, not knowing what to do until it finally registered that he was meant to shake. "O-oh." He reciprocated the gesture, hoping his hands weren't sweaty.

He broke into a smile when their fingers touched.

"So that's your game." Maizono murmured.

"Huh-"

Maizono grabbed his upper arm with her other hand, then flipped him over behind her.

The spiky-haired boy's coughed loudly after his back crashed against the hard floor (thankfully away from the glass), his arm still raised and under the idol's firm grip.

Maizono glared – without pretext or falsehoods – with pure hate. "I've let my guard down twice. It won't happen a third time."

_'…What is she talking about?'_

She let his arm sink to the floor. This time she walked over him, not bothering to look back. "Naegi-san, kindly stop intruding on my life…if you know what's good for you." Her words struck him like a dagger.

It hurt even more than his back and shoulder. "I blew it." That's what he gets for blowing her off. He just made an enemy out of his idol. Makoto stood, rubbing his arm with a downcast expression.

"What's all that noise?"

Makoto was a deer caught in the headlights when the PE instructor marched into the storage room. The man's intense build magnified the boy's fear by several times. "Did you do this?" He referred to the damaged equipment.

"No, it was…" Makoto paused and lowered his shoulders. "…Yeah. I did it."

Even under the teacher's demonic glower, Makoto couldn't stop thinking of Maizono's expression. Not the one she left with. It was before she noticed him. When Makoto peeked through the door, he'd thought…

"She…looked very lonely."

* * *

Makoto's punishment was swiftly decided. He'd pay reparations by caring for the animals, after receiving a heavy-handed lecture from the principal and his parents. In his honest, meager opinion, this sucked, a **lot**. Someone up there had it in for him bad.

The present afternoon wasn't looking to good either. "Can you help me out with rabbits?" Makoto asked Takashi while crouching down. The other boy standing behind him munching on granola bars.

"Nor cun do (no can do)"

"Then why are you here?" He whined.

"For moral support, gotta make sure you do your time like a responsible middle school student. But if you want my help so badly…" Takashi pulled out a half-eaten snack and tossed into the rabbit cage.

"Wait what-_no!_" Makoto watched in fear as the fluffy animals converged on the granola bar. "Why would you do that? What if they get sick? I'll be the one taking the blame!"

"Huh…whoops, didn't think of that. Granolas are tasty though. Look at em go." He pointed. "Can the stuff _really_ be so bad for them when they love it so much?"

"Yes!"

"Is that how it is?" He droned.

"Yes!"

"Oh, my bad then." Takashi shrugged. "I'll get out of your hair…but before that…" Takashi whipped out his cell phone and blinded Makoto with a flash.

"What gives?" Makoto asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Nothing at all~"

"Go away! Don't you have practice?" Makoto quickly shooed the nuisance away. But not before Takashi left a trail of crumbs all over the place. No doubt Makoto would be made to clean it up. He didn't mind that as much as he should have as cleaning animal droppings was often worse. Seriously, the whole cage was filthy when he first arrived. Had he known, Makoto would have cleaned out the rabbit cage with or without the punishment factor.

"Done." Makoto wiped the sweat off his brow. The rabbits waited to the side patiently, save for one crowding near his leg. The unluckster named it Snatch for its friendliness and could tell by the beige fur. Makoto didn't entertain the idea that the rabbits understood him, but they were docile. Maybe they even liked him a little…Snatch did at least, after he'd thoroughly scrubbed it upon their first meeting.

He cracked a smile. "There's no more mess, little guys. I'll head home now." Thankfully, nobody was around to hear him talking to the animals.

_*Squawk*_

What animal sounded like tha- "WOAH!" Makoto jumped at the sight of a large, white bird outside the cage door, fortunately not blocking his exit. The long-legged avian was eating the crumbs off the floor.

The tense boy slowly made his way out. He wouldn't bother it, and it wouldn't bother him – is what he would have done, had he not spotted an injury on its wing. The bird crying out whenever it flapped.

"Oh geez." Makoto scratched his head. The trip to and from the infirmary wasn't long, he brought the medical supplies to care for the…duck? Swan? He was clueless, but a bird was a bird. This just happened to be the biggest he'd ever laid eyes on.

The patch job had been unpleasant. Confrontational, as the bird pecked on his hair/skull and wriggled violently. He was forced to (gently) press on its neck and hold it down while applied the unrolled bandage around its wing.

"Now let's get you out of here." Makoto said, as if the winged-creature wasn't squawking incessantly at him…but he was getting used to making enemies of people. If the bird had been human, Makoto was sure there would have been a few threats or swears in its speech. Actually, he might well have been charged with kidnapping, as he took it away from the pen involuntarily and led it to the forest. By the time he let go of the bird, it practically jumped and flew away from him as fast as it could.

"Not like I expected any thanks…" Makoto traveled back to the school grounds, never dreaming to meet Maizono by the animal cage.

He briefly contemplated what she wanted…certain it couldn't have involved him. The pop star made it very clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Maizono's eyes contacted his before he broke it, staring at the ground as he walked past. Whether that made things more awkward…he couldn't say.

"What'd you do with the crane?" He stiffened at her voice.

"A crane…thought it was a mutated duck." Makoto joked lamely, then replied seriously when she didn't laugh with him. "I set it free in the forest."

"Mhm." She nodded, not sounding all too interested. "Naegi-kun, come take a look at this."

Confused, he turned to see the pop star foisting her cell phone out. If not for the tense atmosphere, he'd immediately have mentally noted how cute the decorations were. Instead he took cautious steps towards Maizono. He'd rather not be flipped again.

On the screen was a photo of him treating the Crane. "Ah…you were watching. I couldn't just leave it alone with that wound."

"…Your arm." She pointed at the phone as to not confuse him.

Makoto spotted his arm circled around the crane's neck. Yikes! "I…could've been a little more careful, I guess, but there was nobody else around (or so he thought) to help and I had to keep it still _somehow_."

"I saw the whole thing, so I understand. Will anyone else though?"

Makoto tilted his head. "Was someone else here?"

Her jaw clenched. "…Did you know that a picture _this_ precarious could cause some interesting reactions? Like say, from animal rights advocates? "

Okay? "I was only trying to help that crane." He re-iterated.

"You'd have to prove that, wouldn't you. Especially on the off-hand that the frame of the crane's wing was edited slightly."

Makoto was at a loss. "Maizono-san, what did you want me to see here?"

"It'd be easy to use my connections and get these images uploaded the web. If you don't want everyone to see you as a perpetrator of animal abuse – right when you were meant to be taking care of them _– you'll back off_." She said, with a smile that couldn't have been any more inappropriate.

He paled. "You're thinking of framing me? Why?!" Did she hate him that much? "And how? One lousy picture isn't gonna-"

"It's adorable you think that, Naegi. But you'd surprised at how much a single picture can be played up by the media if there's an interested party. I doubt the school will take kindly to the bad publicity either."

Makoto took a step back. The pristine image of the pop star he so admired, was as broken as the shattered glass in the storage room. "_What do you even want_? I haven't done a thing to you."

"Now we're even. You have dirt on me, and I've got dirt on you."

Dirt?

Makoto shook his head. "Maizono, I didn't tell anyone about what happened in the storage room and I wasn't planning on it either." Besides, nobody would believe him over her anyway. He was pretty sure they cleared that up.

"…Are you really going to play ignorant at this point?" She scowled.

"Huh?"

…

"I know you saw me at the arcade, and you've been stuck in my head all week!" She snapped, clenching her fists.

"…_Huh?_" Makoto felt the steep incline of anxiety plateau and drain, replaced by raw confusion.  
The arcade…you mean last week? You were there?"

Maizono's expression twisted. "**_Do you think I'm that stupid?!_**"

"Let me be clear on this, Maizono-san: _I have no idea what you're talking about_." Makoto said, plainly.

If looks could kill, Maizono would have him six feet under by now. The girl reached into her school bag, pulling out an all-too familiar blue cap, placing it on her head. "Remember me?" Maizono spat, sarcastically…and in a voice, octaves lower than normal.

Makoto's jaw dropped, he raised a pointed finger, shaking like he'd seen a ghost. "Yuki, y-you're Maizono-san?"

"_Obviously…_and you've got it the other way around-" Maizono's words died in her throat, her features, alternating from irritation to puzzlement of a similar nature as Makoto's. "You…didn't know?"

Bereft of speech, Makoto could only shake his head dumbly.

"A-Are you an idiot? How couldn't you know?!" She stuttered.

"How was I supposed to?" He argued back

"You met me face-face several times in one week…and my ID was in my wallet? Or didn't I leave an impression?"

"Well….huh, your wallet? I told you I didn't look. Didn't you believe me?"

Maizono gazed at him, stupefied. "Of course I didn't believe you. Who would trust a complete strange-…" Her retort went unfinished. She rubbed her temple, a mortified expression bordering on crazed on her features. "You didn't look…and…you didn't know it was me…

Then all this time I've been…holy shit." Maizono dropped, crouching on her knees, hands covering her face "What is fucking wrong with me?"

Just then, on this cloudy afternoon, Makoto heard Sayaka Maizono curse.

The dream was dead. And so would he, both socially and physically, if ANYONE was to drop by and chance on them. Knowing Makoto's luck, he'd take the blame for making the most popular girl in school cry. To an extent, that was true.

Makoto didn't have the slightest clue why, but at some point he'd caused a major misunderstanding…But without knowing the specifics, he could only flounder about.

Someone eventually did walk in on them…or perhaps it'd be better to replace 'someone' with 'something' and 'walk' with 'hop'. "I don't think that's a good idea right now, Snatch." Makoto said to the rabbit who'd landed by Maizono's side, like it sensed her distress.

That was wishful thinking. However, wishful thinking sometimes worked out for the best.

Maizono held the rabbit, raising it near her face from the bottom and gently caressing its back. She looked up to Makoto with slightly red, puffy eyes. "Snatch?" She said.

"It's the name I gave him. I thought it was a mix of cool and cute." Wow, that sounded so lame out loud.

…

"Cute is right…I thought rabbits ran from humans." She sniffled.

Makoto scratched his cheeks. "The others do. Snatch's just…adorable and weirdly friendly."

"Kind of like you then."

"Huh?" Was that…a compliment?

"That's what the rumors say." She continued.

"Oh…"

"I didn't believe them though. There's nothing more unreliable, I think." Maizono continued, a far-off look in her eye as she stood. "…I'm sorry."

Makoto shuffled, awkwardly. Struggling to think of a direction to take this conversation. "I'm still at a loss, myself. I think I'd have to hear you out before I accept an apology."

Maizono shook her head. She pointed past him. "Not that, I mean…are the rabbits supposed to leave their cages?"

A thought that should have sprung up long ago, just did. _'…How did Snatch get outside?' _Like a poorly made puppet, Makoto shakily turned to the pen, in there he counted 3 rabbits missing.

"Ah…" He blanched, head scanning the vicinity, catching sight of a black-furred animals skipping away. "Nonono. Come back!" He ran as fast as his legs could carry.

Maizono watched his frantic running, still caressing Snatch in her arms. "He's an interesting guy, after all." She cracked a broken, guilty smile.

* * *

"Here you go, Naegi." The waiter attended to them, sliding a cup of Iced tea over to Makoto and Rose Hip tea to Maizono. The girl wearing the same disguise he'd seen at the arcade.

"Thanks, Arakawa-san." Makoto beamed, waving happily to the departing server. He'd brought Maizono to one of his favorite coffee shops as both thanks for helping round up the escapees and to clear the air between them.

And boy, was the atmosphere tense. He picked up on Maizono stealing awkward glances at him, but neither – both known for their sociable personalities – could bring themselves to speak.

In Makoto's case, he couldn't think of a good way to break the ice.

"It's delicious." Maizono said after tasting the tea, staring at the cup with wonderment. "Just how I like it. Good call, Naegi."

…The brunet felt a vague sense of defeat when Maizono took the first step. "I know the guy who owns the place. It's not a busy spot, but it does the job."

"No, that's fantastic. A place like this…is homely." Maizono complimented. "I guess…now's the time to get our stories straight." She added, getting straight to business.

First thing's first. "Why the disguise?"

"My manager. He cancelled my plans to attend a friend's birthday…and I'd been looking forward to it and gave him several days notice in advance." Maizono sighed. "It's not like there wasn't good reason; there was a huge contract that'll help my image. On the other hand, I'm losing more control over my life by the day. I also figured boys have less restrictions placed on them than girls. They can be as rowdy as they want, and everyone thinks it's natural." She admitted.

"You were at the arcade to vent?" He suspected, recalling how _into_ gaming 'Yuki' was.

The idol laughed bitterly. "When we played Brain Drive, I juxtaposed manager's face onto the street walkers."

_'I'm so glad to not be on her bad side anymore…I think.' – _Makoto shivered. "For what it's worth, I didn't see through your disguise at all."

"I _thought_ you did. And seeing you went to my school the next day? I freaked out, thinking you'd set me up for blackmail."

"_Blackmail_? That's ridiculous." Makoto gaped. "Even if I _had_ known who you were, I'd never use that knowledge against you. _Who would even do that_?"

Maizono's smile conveyed shades of condescension, envy and self-derogation. "Public image is everything in show business. If you don't stomp complications out, _you get stomped out_. You caught me at a vulnerable point." The tea's surface rippled as Maizono's fingers shook. "I tried learning as much as I could about you to defend myself. Anything that could ruin your social standing would work…but there wasn't a thing."

Makoto flinched. It was jarring, hearing her admit to undermining him.

Maizono didn't miss that brief recoil. "Crude, distrusting and vindictive. I bet you're surprised to see that _bitch_ is the _real_ Sayaka Maizono." What were formerly _shades_ of deprecation came out in full force.

"You've got that wrong!" Makoto argued back.

"But you _are_ disillusioned, right?" She smirked.

…

"I…can't deny I am, you're so…different." The Sayaker frowned. "But, I don't think this makes you a bad person at all."

"Thanks…but your words don't have much weight when you _barely_ _know me at all_."

He wouldn't say that. "Maizono-san…is extreme."

"Excuse me?" Her thin blue brow ticked upward.

"From what you've told me…you've been jumping to conclusions, really quickly and…um…"

"You think I'm paranoid." Maizono cut him off, staring at the ahoge blankly. "That's fair, I deserve it. You don't need to hold back."

"I was actually going to say, _distressed_." The bluenette having all but proven his point about going to extremities with that statement. "If the circumstances are bad enough, even the best of us can do bad things. That's just human." He wanted to advise the other girl to relax, but that might've come off as insensitive. Who'd care for a guy who doesn't do much with his own life, telling an idol that worked to the best of her ability, to take it easy?

"…Even you?" Maizono asked.

"Sure." What'd she mean by that? Even Makoto got angry…sometimes.

"Could you give an example?"

He struggled to think of one. "My little sister kept eating all my pudding for a whole week. I snapped, and we got in a huge fight." That he lost but Maizono didn't need to know that!

"You lost to your kid sister." Maizono stated, as if she'd read his mind.

Terror crept onto his features. "H-How'd you _do_ that?"

Seeing his response as confirmation, Maizono covered her mouth, giggling uncontrollably.

…He shrugged it off. Laughter was better than tears.

"Ah-ahahaha-It's…intuition." She said after calming down. 'I'm good at reading other people's thoughts."

Makoto shot her a disbelieving look.

"It's not perfect. Like with you earlier. 'A guy this open, honest and kind? Doesn't exist. He has to be hiding his real face'." Maizono explained her rationale. "The more I thought that, and the more you didn't give me the signs I was looking for, the scarier I thought you were."

Scary?_ Me?_...No before that. "Signs? When was this?"

Maizono averted her eyes, coughing and struggling to speak. "This is humiliating to admit but…I've been watching you for the past few days."

At another time, in another place, under vastly different circumstances, he'd burst with happiness to know Maizono had taken that much interest in him. "I see. That must have been very boring."

"Hardly." Maizono rejected his assumption instantly. "Do you know how strange you are?"

"I-I'm not weird. I'm just a normal everyday guy."

Maizono chuckled. "So you say, but you're not too far off school celebrity status yourself. Although, whether that's a good thing is up to you."

"…_What?_"

She played with her phone, sliding it over to Makoto after repeated taps. "Take a look."

Makoto had never blushed harder than right this moment, as he scrolled down on the screen's contents. "W-What are these?!" The most immediate post was a picture of him holding one of the rabbits. Another below was Makoto eating, not entirely unlike a hamster would. Then a shot of the time he went out of his way to show one of a pair of parents around the school. And so much more. All of these instances he recalled vividly.

There was one he didn't however…because Makoto had been asleep, in class, as the picture showed. And in front was Takashi making a peace sign.

"That jerk!" He nearly tossed the phone. Would have had he not quickly remembered who it belonged to and composed himself.

The pop sensation retrieved the device, reading one of the comments aloud "'I wonder who's cuddlier, Naegi-kun or the rabbit?'…What do you think, Naegi-kun?" Maizono asked, amused. Makoto wanted nothing more than to hide _his_ face away.

_'Why am I friends with that guy?!'_

"Haven't you ever checked his profile?"

"I don't have a phone or a pc."

"Oh…are your financial circumstances…"

"Not like that, my parents are well off…it's just…I tend to break things. Phones included, two of them within 3 months of starting school." Makoto deflated, holding his wrist up pointing to the watch with its hands stopped at 11:59, frozen just one step short of a full revolution. "Not even a tick. It's my bad luck."

He saw a flicker in Maizono's eyes…then…static. For an instant, his surroundings were replaced by visual noise.

Makoto rubbed his eyelids. When he opened them again, everything was normal.

"Bad luck, huh?" Maizono asked, continuing the conversation.

It must have been his imagination. "It's a condition I have. You might not believe me, but I attract misfortune like a magnet…the people around me can even get caught up on it."

"Oh no, I believe you…_now_." Maizono stressed. "But as I was saying, there's something special about you. Just today, you helped that crane. Why?"

"It was the right thing to do." He answered, plainly, rarely needing a reason to help another.

"…Yeah, most normal people don't think that way. They'd either be afraid of a bird that big and shove the responsibility on the teacher…or would be too caught up in their lives to pay attention."

"Isn't that a little pessimistic?"

"I don't really know anymore." Maizono wore a depressing frown. "A few hours ago, I wouldn't have thought a guy like you was real. Maybe I've only projected my own circumstances onto everyone."

I wonder how bad she has it to be so jaded. "Do you _hate_ being an idol?" He voiced the question that might break the hearts of thousands, if answered negative.

"No, I love it. I always have. The stage and my fans. I can't get enough of them." She beamed. Makoto let out a sigh of relief. Grateful that this side of the idol was genuine.

"However. Everything else, wasn't what I thought it'd be. The people I consider my closest friends, my teammates, are also my rivals. " She said. "It's fun at times…but if I'm not careful, I'll be used and discarded."

"That can't be true." Makoto couldn't imagine a life where he had to be on-guard with his closest companions.

"It is." She silenced him with two words. "I've worked hard to get where I am, even if that meant doing bad things. I know better than anyone how volatile the idol world is and once I was a part of it, I couldn't stop." Maizono grasped her arms, her darkening eyes meeting his. "So you understand, right Naegi-kun? Why I was so hostile towards you?

The evening we met, I stopped swimming against the current. I don't know what came over me, I just needed to breathe, thinking cutting loose once was enough."

"Then I came into the picture." And 'once' became a fatal mistake from her point of view.

"All of it was my fault, I knew that, but still terrorized you because of my unfounded paranoia. You were only trying to help me."

"Maizono-san…"

"I-I don't think I can do this anymore. I thought I was strong enough to achieve my dream, but I'm not. I can't even trust anyone anymore." She hugged herself, to stop her shaking.

"You can trust me." Makoto declared.

"Eh?"

"It might be presumptuous to say after all that's happened, but now that I know, I can't do nothing." His resolve flared. "Sorry to say. But I'm still an ordinary guy. I don't know anything about show business, but if you need someone to fall back on, and believe in unconditionally…even I can do that." Anyone could.

"…" Only after the adrenaline dipped, did Makoto fully realize how suggestive he'd been.

Makoto backed off, the heat rising to his cheeks. "T-That might've been too forward. What I was _trying to say_, is that I want to be your friend, a real friend. A guy you can count on!" He rephrased, yet the idol's perplexed features remained. "O-Or if that's too much…maybe an assistant position?"

"Pfft-aha…ahahahaha." Maizono laughed, gripping her stomach as she convulsed. At the back, Makoto could also hear Arakawa's too. There weren't many at the establishment…but there were enough.

"W-What'd I say?" He pouted

"You said nothing wrong, Naegi-kun. Being an idol is part singing and most, playing to the fans. I can tell your delivery was perfect." Maizono smile fell. "Too perfect. I still can't shake the feeling I'm being deceived."

"I would never lie to you like that."

"Even if that's true, it doesn't matter unless _I think so_. Don't sweat it, you're not the problem. I am." Maizono left her seat, pulling the strap of her bag over the shoulder. "I hope it's alright to say this…but can I talk to you later?"

"I'm pretty much always available." He scratched his cheek.

"….I'll hold you to that, Naegi-kun."

"Oh…and Maizono-san. Thanks for helping me round up Snatch and the others."

Maizono paused, then peered at Makoto like he were a foreign entity. "…It's strange to thank me. It was the least I could do."

Nobody could say Makoto wasn't a man of his word. He stood outside the door of his home, the lock already opened. Makoto's arms hesitated on the door knob.

Why? Take one look behind him.

"Are you going to open it?" Maizono said, wearing yet another boyish guise. Her fingers curled around the handle of a small travel bag.

"Y-Yeah, but…are you sure about running away?"

"Is it a bother?" Maizono asked, disheartened.

And to that face, rejection was impossible. "No! Nothing like that. I'd be glad to have you over." Even if he hadn't told his parents, he'd get them to accept…somehow. Oh boy, this was going to be a rough evening.

Makoto quietly opened the door, his head zipping in every direction. Mom and dad shouldn't have been home at this hour. Komaru was usually out around this period too. Good, he had some breathing room to think of the best excuse ever for hiding a Not!Idol in his home.

"Is this ninja play, Naegi-kun?" Maizono tilted her head at his odd behavior.

"Definitely not that." Makoto shook his head. "Welcome to my humble home. I'm sure it's nothing compared to your place."

"You said it. Even as big as my house is, there's way more clutter." Maizono commented, as they moved through the living room.

Makoto blinked.

"You weren't expecting a shameless answer like that, right?" There she went reading his mind again. "I didn't want to lie. Not much point putting on a reserved, good girl act when you've already seen through me."

"If that means you can be open with me, then I'll take that as a win in my book. But I want to know what kind of place you live in."

"My dad and I live in one of the larger houses in our district. Not quite a mansion – no need for just the two of us – but still pretty huge."

"The celebrity life must be nice." Makoto said, moving up the stairs.

"You'd think so, but no. Neither of us wanted to leave our old home – too many memories – but we had to. My agency said it was essential to live big, but I'd rather live in a house like this."

Makoto looked back, spotting the bluenette's face contort with displeasure. A bag of mysteries, this one.

They stopped by his room door; a place where Maizono could leave her things in the meantime until he got everything settled.

He twisted the doorknob opening it slightly.

"I've never been in a boy's room before. It's like I'm about to enter a whole new world."

Makoto scratched his hair, taking pride at the stated fact. "Don't get your hopes up, it's standard." It had everything you'd expect from a teenage boy's room. A bed, drawers, stands, games, dumb trophies, idol posters…

Makoto quickly closed the door "Are you hungry?"

The pop sensation tilted her head at the sudden change. "Not rea-"

"I bet you are! Let's go to the kitchen, I'll make lunch." Makoto proposed, uncharacteristically assertive. His back to the door like a guard defending an ancient, mystic treasure.

"Hmm, I guess I am. What'll you be cooking?" Maizono hummed.

"Not sure. I'd have to check what we've got in the fridge."

"Gotcha. Lead the way, cap'n." Maizono saluted. Makoto bought it, hook line and sinker. The second his back left the door and inched a decent distance away, the grinning girl's hand reached for the doorknob.

"S-Stop!" Makoto panicked, reacting too late. Awkwardly, he still tried to slide in between the schemer and the door. It came as no surprise, but she was quite a bit stronger than him. The natural conclusion was that she forced her way in, the two falling to the ground when the door opened wide.

Like clockwork, the resulting crash triggered the opening of the door from the next room. "Stop making so much noise, Makoto!" Komaru Naegi stepped out in a plain shirt and shorts, earphones plugged in (it needn't be said what/who it was she was listening to) and irritation plastered all over her face. That is until she got a good look at their guest pinning Makoto down to the floor.

"U-Uh…Huh?" Komaru stammered.

Points for coherence, sis.

"…I can explain."

* * *

They ended up staying in his room anyway, forming a triangle with Makoto and Komaru on the sides, the former sitting on a bean-bag and the latter, on his desk chair. Maizono/Yuki sat on Makoto's bed, bemused eyes scanning his room, twinkling at the numerous posters of her image.

That left Makoto to do the explaining.

_'Why do these things happen to me?'_

It'd been a perfectly ordinary day until Maizono-san approached him at the end of his shift, with a single request "I need somewhere to hide out for a bit. Can I stay at your house?" The idol explained that she'd gotten into an argument with her manager. One that had turned physical. Maizono showed him the proof, pulling up the sleeves on her uniform and revealed an indent, a bruise right above her wrists.

Faced with a 'yes' or a 'no', Makoto chose the former. What else could he say after he promised Maizono that she could confide in him?

Makoto tweaked the truth a little for his family. Transforming an altercation between idol and manager into a domestic dispute between family.

"That sounds like you, big bro. Always lending a hand." Komaru nodded. "But I still have a few questions. Yuki-san…you're…um, I don't want to sound rude but, you're a…guy?"

'Yuki' laughed. "I get that a lot. Actually, Makoto's the first who didn't suspect otherwise."

That was simultaneously the truth and a lie, more importantly, it was also a backhanded dig directed his way.

"Have you and my brother known each other long?" Komaru inquired. Her curiosity was founded. Makoto was a softie, but he didn't go this far for just _anyone_.

"No-" "Yes, since the start of this year."

Makoto threw Maizono a stupefied expression, suppressing it before Komaru caught on.

"We met at the arcade near the school and became fast friends since."

"Friends…_just friends_?" Waves of suspicion emitted from the little sister.

"I think so…but you never know with the things Makoto blurts out in public. He doesn't have a filter and causes misunderstandings a lot."

You're enjoying yourself way too much, Maizono-san!

"That's true…"

"Komaru!" What was she thinking agreeing with that?

"This isn't about you, Makoto. I need to be prepared for when you come out!" Komaru yelled, her eyes swirling with panic.

"I told you it wasn't like that. S-_He _was trying to sneak into my room!" Makoto threw his hands in the air.

"…Didn't you want him to stay over? _Where else_ would he sleep?" What a time for her to start being the voice of reason.

"He's embarrassed because of all the Sayaka merch, I bet. I didn't know he was _such_ a big fan." Makoto kept his head down, not daring to meet the charlatan's smug.

"What've you got to be embarrassed about that for?" Komaru pounded her fist on the desk, sending him a reprimanding look. "Sayaka-chan is the greatest and anyone who disagrees can get the hell out!"

"You wouldn't happen to be a fan, would you?" Maizono asked, briefly stunned by the outburst.

"Not just any fan, I'm a Sayaker!"

"…" Makoto slapped his forehead. _'I want to go back to school.'_

"A…what?" The blue-haired boy/girl's forehead creased.

"Sayakers are Sayaka's biggest fans, and I'm the number one. Right, Makoto?" She glanced at her rival, the number two.

Makoto looked away, cringing inwardly. For Komaru's sake, he prayed she never realized Yuki's identity.

"I have a feeling everyone says that. Got any proof?" Maizono asked.

"We've kept all the tickets of Sayaka's concerts." Komaru dug into his drawer (without his permission) and withdrew a box stuffed with multi-colored passes.

The idol's mouth parted. "This is for my…her first concert." That was the first slip Makoto'd seen from her. "Some of these were on a school night, _kilometers away_. How'd you get there?"

"Us Naegis are pretty well behaved, but we put our foot down when it comes to Sayaka's concerts. Our parents let us take the train." Komaru puffed her chest out proudly.

"Impressive…got anything else?" Maizono beamed.

"We memorize all of Sayaka's songs when they come out and we're pretty good singers."

"Don't brag, Komaru." Makoto said, red in the face.

In fact, just stop talking!

While he didn't agree with himself as an addition, Komaru _was_ a good singer.

"Oh and I usually spend my monthly allowance on merch and CDs. Want a listen?" Komaru held out one of her earbuds.

"No. I don't think that'll be necessary." Maizono giggled. Expected, Makoto imagined that for her "Recordings and editing aside, It's awkward listening to my own songs."

Yeah, exactly that- "_Wait whaaaa_?" Makoto stared at the pop star, bug-eyed as she threw yet another curveball. _'Did she just!'_

_"I_ must have heard wrong…come again?" Komaru blinked.

Maizono's removed her hat and glasses. Her lengthy blue hair cascading, long enough to reach the bed. "Komaru-chan…ah, sorry- _Number one Sayaker-san_, which of my songs do you like most?"

Komaru blinked again, mechanically facing her brother like a broken machine. "O-onii-chan (she hadn't called him that since she was 11)…h-he's trolling me, right?" She asked off-tone.

She wasn't _in_correct. "Yes…_Maizono-san_ is trolling you."

One thump and a fainted little sister later.

"Is she going to be okay?" Maizono gasped.

"I-I think so. She might need a few minutes to reboot, maybe hours." Makoto said, shaking the drama queen's shoulders. Lights out.

He lifted Komaru up, carrying her to the bed. "Wasn't it _your_ idea to hide your identity?" He scowled.

Maizono placed her hands behind her back, guilty as a 5-year-old caught stealing cookies from a jar. "I couldn't help it. She's such a _good girl_, I felt like playing Santa."

_'What a spontaneous person.'_

"Thanks for the compliment, Number two Sayaker-san."

Makoto's cheeks heated. "My turn to get bullied?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. But on that note, you guys seriously go all out. You've been to _all_ my concerts." Maizono said, rummaging through the ticket box.

"It's not weird, is it? Komaru and I are big fans. N-Not creeps or anything."

"Not a chance, you're both too adorable and I would never think that way of devoted fans. I should be the one conscientious here." She said, stone-faced.

* * *

After asking parents earnestly and honestly describing the truth of their circumstances, Makoto convinced them to let Sayaka stay.

"Sure, honey. It's no problem at all." His mom exclaimed. He'd be lying if the ease of his parents' acceptance wasn't a little disappointing.

"You are _that_ Sayaka? The one my daughter never stops talking about?" Dad said. The 5 of them having dinner at the table.

"That's me. Thank you for having me in your home, Mr. Naegi." Maizono replied gingerly, without that playful nature Makoto had become so familiar with over the past few days.

Sitting by the bluenette's side, was the reawakened Komaru, ghostly bags on her eyes and she occasionally stole glances from the idol, sporting an airy, dazed expression. "Mom…am I dreaming?"

"Komaru, you're embarrassing yourself, and stop staring." Mom chastised his sister.

Maizono leaned to the side, bumping shoulders with his sister. "Do you normally dream of me?"

The fangirl squeaked at the close proximity, blushing heavily. "N-N-No!"

"Then there's no problem. Just talk to me like you did before!"

Makoto couldn't help but admire how flawless Maizono's manners were, and moreover, she was a fantastic conversationalist. Polite, respectful but not _reserved_, organically carrying on a conversation between his family throughout dinner, as if they'd been well acquainted already. It served to drive home that a celebrity really was in this humble home of his.

Shame, most of it was probably fake.

As if Maizono – and she had, judging by the gleam in her eye – read Makoto's mind, she dragged him under. "I can tell this is where the _famous_ Naegi-kun gets all his good qualities from."

Makoto choked.

"Good qualities, My _brother_?" "My little boy is famous?" "You've got my attention. Let's hear it."

Giggling at her victory of the silent battle between classmates, Maizono went on to explain the rumors to his family, **while omitting the part about them being rumors!**

Makoto deeply wished he had his hoodie to retreat into. He was too embarrassed to speak for the rest of the evening. In turn, his devotion to silence allowed him to observe that Maizono's smile was less strained than he'd seen in school.

* * *

"Wake up." A whisper and shake roused Makoto from his sleep.

With one eye open, he groggily turned around, vision adjusting to his visitor. He blinked at Maizono sleeping right next to him.

"It's going to look pretty bad for both of us if you scream, Naegi-kun." Maizono said, intercepting his would-be response to this outrageous scenario.

"W-What are you doing? When'd you get in? _Why_ did you get in?" He whisper-shouted.

"I needed to talk to you." She calmly replied.

"It couldn't have waited til tomorrow?"

"No. I've decided to go back home. Besides, I doubt your sister would be able to sleep if I stayed."

"…She was still awake?"

"Yup, she wanted to make sure I was entertained. She definitely succeeded." Maizono giggled.

"Komaruuuu." Makoto groaned.

"She's cute. Your whole family is. "

Makoto flushed at the compliment. "Come on…"

"I meant what I said at dinner, about how I can see why you turned out into such a nice guy. How you turned out so differently from me."

Makoto would agree they were different in many, obvious ways. However, he had a feeling she was speaking of a differing subtext. One he wouldn't readily agree with. "You're being too hard on yourself. We're not _that_ different, in my opinion."

"_You're_ too nice." Maizono complimented, but he detected a note of skepticism. "If you're willing to listen…could I tell you why I became an idol?"

"I think you mentioned that before on an interview once."

"You really think that was the truth?" She said, sardonically.

"…Point taken." All these secrets can't be good for her.

"My mother died when I was a baby, and my father raised me by himself – is what I'd like to say, but it's more accurate to say he provided for me. He was never around, had to work long hours jobs and such. I had no siblings either. I was always alone…

Doesn't sound much like your upbringing I bet."

"Can't say it does." Makoto offered an apologetic expression. Komaru was a handful…still kinda is, but he was never lonely.

Maizono flipped, her front facing the ceiling. "Don't get me wrong, I love my dad, he's awkward but keeps me on my toes and supported me all the way." Her tone, rippling with happiness, deflated somewhat. "But I needed something else by my side. That's when I first discovered pop stars on TV. She was so dazzling, like a real-life princess. Her dance, her form and most of all, her smile. I dreamed of stepping into her shoes, like Cinderella."

He smiled, imagining a smaller Maizono imitating dances on TV.

"When my dad came home that night, I told him I wanted to be a pop star."

"Haha, he must've thought that was adorable." It certainly was in his mind's eye.

"No, actually. He got me a dance instructor within the week and paid for singing lessons a few days after. Then said I could quit whenever I got bored."

Makoto smiled rigidly, giving Sayaka an odd stare."…H-How old were you?"

Maizono pressed a finger to her lips in thought. "Five, I think."

_'…What a generous father.'_

"I never did get bored. As you can see, those lessons paid off and I stepped into the realm of my heroes. Only…"

"…Show business wasn't all you thought it was." Makoto said, ruefully.

"*giggle*, you catch on quick, Naegi."

"I only remembered what you told me."

"A good listener then, even better. The world I admired wasn't pure or glamorous from the inside, but even so, I wouldn't give up my dream."

He didn't have anything like dreams - goals he could work his hardest towards. Makoto was content to spend his days indulging in his average lifestyle. The future, glamorous or bleak, was too far off. "You're strong, Maizono-san."

She shook her head. "I don't think so. The reason I can't stop following my dream, is because of what would happen if I lost it. I don't want to be alone again, without my teammates, without the fans. I…don't want to be forgotten." For a moment, Makoto had been allowed to see the very deepest and most fragile part of the girl's heart. "I have to apologize to you, Naegi-kun. The idol I aspire to be is perfect, but I showed you my ugliness time and again. Us meeting at the arcade and the way I treated you was a mistake. I won't let it happen again."

Makoto's eyes shifted, a line forming between his brows as he tried to make sense of her confession. If she felt this strongly about being an idol despite the setbacks…

"You're keen at picking up details, Naegi-kun. After all I've said, why am I here, running from my job?" Maizono smiled teasingly "The answer is that I'm not. **I lied**."

…

…

"_What?_" Makoto didn't whisper this time, unable to suppress the incredulity. He jumped from his sleeping posture, removing the covers. He'd nearly tumbled off the bed but managed to sit right by the edge. _'She tricked me?'_

"I lied. All that talk about getting abused my manager never happened." Maizono repeated.

"But your arm. You couldn't fake that injury!"

Maizono held out her wrists, the indent a short way above her wrist plain as day. "It's not fake. I really did get a bruise…but my manager didn't do it. He's too shrewd for that." The next words that came out of the Maizono mouth stunned Makoto into silence. "I did it to myself."

"Why?!" His teeth chattered. Whether from frustration or confusion was up for debate.

"I wanted to see how serious you were about earning my trust. Congratulations, you pass." Maizono said. Did she understand how crazy that sounds? "You don't have to mention it. I get the irony. I've shown you another ugly side of myself."

Maizono had done some…unpleasant things to him. Makoto couldn't deny that, but this time …this made him angry.

"So you _really can_ get mad, Naegi. That's good, now you see exactly what kind of person I am. I told you, being an idol is part singing, and most playing to the public. In other words, _I double as an actress_. You really think you can be friends with someone like this?"

"That's not what I'm talking about. I mean, even I don't want to be lied to…but I don't care about that right now." There was a much bigger problem. "You're reckless. You're too reckless, Maizono-san! How could you injure yourself just to prove a point?"

"I chose my wrist because it can easily be covered up."

"Not that. You're jumping the gun again! Maizono you need to, to…"

Oh, to hell with his reservations.

"You need to chill out!" He yelled.

"Excuse me?" The blue-haired celebrity stared at him, bewildered.

"Relax. Take a break. Think about the consequences before you act. Calm the hell down!" said the boy throwing a fit.

Maizono's eye twitched, irritation rising to the surface. "…Even if _you_ say so, I _can't_ relax. My job barely lets me, and I won't lose my place on the way to the top. Not for anyone."

Neither backed down, engaging in a silent stare down for what felt like minutes.

"Fine, if you'll do what you want, then I will too." Makoto said. Forget it, he wasn't going to _ask_ to be her friend anymore any more. "I'm going to stick right by your side make sure you don't pull any crazy stunts like this again and there's nothing _you or anyone_ can do to stop me." Makoto's voice trembled with tension, as did his pointed finger.

Maizono blinked rapidly in amazement. After the meaning of Makoto's statement sunk in, her lips curved upwards "Ha..ahahahahaha. You did it again. D-Do you have _any_ idea what that sounded like?"

For the umpteenth time that day/evening/night, Makoto was assaulted by striking humiliation. "I know, trust me _I know_. But, that just shows how serious I am."

"Most girls in my position would report a clingy guy like that to the police."

"Eh? You're not actually gonna…" Makoto paled.

"Just kidding, I'm not _that_ terrible." Maizono stuck her tongue out at him, then raised her hand. "Okay. Let's be friends."

Makoto hesitantly accepted, still fearful of the last time.

"I hope you can keep up with me." Maizono said.

"I'll…try my best." With the adrenaline dying down, Makoto felt like he'd lost his mind.

"Good. Time to get some sleep." Maizono tugged at the covers and pulled them over her.

…

"You…can't be serious about this? My parents are going to kill me if they catch us."

"I live by my schedule. I'll be up before 6. Is that enough, or are you going to keep pretending to hate sleeping besides a pretty girl?"

"That's…fair."

"Think of this as a deal-maker, Naegi. I don't jump into bed with any guy, you know."

Please watch that word choice. People might get the wrong idea! "Then um…why?"

"Do I really need to say it?"

He nodded.

"It's because I trust you, dummy."


End file.
